Improvement in nut-lock



fintrd States strnt Qtfifiine.

OHRISTOPHER S. SOUTHWIOK AND vDAVID H. BARKER, OF NEWPORT,

RHoDE ISLAND.

Letters Patent No. 101,674, dated April 5, 1870.

IMPRVEMENT IN NUT-LOCK.

The Scheduie teferre to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all 'who'm tt 'may conce'r'n:

Be it known that we, CHms'rorflnn S. Sou'rH- wroK and DAVID H. BARKER, of Newport, in the county of Newport and State of Rhode Island,

have invented a new and useful Improvement in Lock-Nuts for Screw-Bolts; and wc do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a central section of our improved nutlocking plate and screw, as the same armear when applied or in use.

Figure is a side elevat-ion of the same.

Figure 3 is a front or end view of the same.

Figure 4 isv an elevation of the inner face of the ratchet-locking plate.

Figure 5 is a diagram for illustrating the position of the looking-plate upon the ratchet-teeth of the nut, just before the retraction or turning back of the nut takes place.

Similar letters of reference in t-he several figures indica-te like parts.

The nature of our invention consists in a nut with one or more ratchetfiteeth on its upper or outer flat face, in combination with a centrally-perforated locking-plate, having a conversely -set ratchet-tooth or teeth on its .under or inner face, the said ratchet-tooth or teeth which we adopt, and which are necessary to be used in carrying out our invention, being of such a form that those of the nut will become interlocked with those of the plate by a slight retraction of the nut after it has been forced home, and,.when thus interiocked, will prevent any movement of the plate away from the nut in a direction lengthwise with the screw on which the nut and plate are applied.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use our invention, we will proceed to describe the same.

ln the accompanying drawingyA is intended to represent one part of a structure, which is to be bolted firmly to another part.

B B', the screw-bolt (J O', the nut;

D Dl D2, the locking-plate;

E, a finishing-ring; and

F, the`usua1 washer.

The stem B' of the screw-bolt is made with four `fiat sides, as shown, and the central perforation D2 in the looking-plate or cap is made with similar flat sides,

- so that, when the plate or cap is placed on the stem,

it cannot turn independently of the screw.

'The ratchct-teeth'G' on the outer end of the nut structed, but, of course, are set to run couversel to those of the nut.

The ring E is fitted around the ratchets O' D1,'so as to hide them from view. It may or may not be used, just as fancy dictates, as its design is merely ornamental, or to give a finishing appearance.

It is plain from the foregoing, in connection with the drawing, that if the nut G O' is screwed home, as shown in fig. 1, and the cap passed over the square stem of the screw, the ratchet-teeth will occ'upy the relation to one ``another shown iu fig. 5.

Now, by slightly turning back the nut, tlie ratchets will interlock one with another, as shown in fig. 2, and when thus interlocked, no outward lonvgitudinal movement of the looking-plate can take place, and, as this plate cannot turn on its stem, there will be no chance for the nut to unscrew, and become detached.

yIt might be supposed that the slight turning back of the nut, in order to interlock the ratchets, would be objectionable; but, when it is considered that there is always more or less elasticity in the parts of structures which are screwed together, and that, therefore, the nut maybe crowdcd up a little, and then, after the cap is fitted Ato its place, their biud relaxed by turning back the nut, no serious inconvenience will be experienced therefrom, but, on the contrary, the slight turning back of nuts after they have been crowdcd home, every good mechanic knows, is regarded as av great relief to machinery, especially ou structures Where there is the least jar brought to bear upon them.

In practice, the nut-s and plates may be made of wrought metal, and then have the ratchets attached to them, or the nuts and plates `may be cast with the ratchets upon them.

`We prefer to use, as the same is the most practical and effective, a screw with four 01' more flat sides on its stem, but it is -obvious that a feather formed on one side of the stem, or a stem with one fiat side, would answer for kecpiug the looking-plate from turning. Ineither case the central perforation in the looking-plate must match the formation of the stem.

Te discard as objectionable all keys or fcathers made independent from the screw and 1ocking-plate.

That we claim as our invent-ion, and desire to seoure by Letters Patent, is-- v The lock-plate and nut, constructed substantially as described,"wit h interlocking projections, whereby nuts are prevented from moving longitudinally after they arelocked, substanti'ally in themanner set fort-h.

` CHRIS. S. SOUTHWIOK. [1.. s.] Dr. VID H. BAR-KER. [1.. s.]

Witnesses SAMI.. BROWN, DANL. I. BULL. 

